September 5 marked a monumental day for Conuma as mining operations resumed at Quintette coal mine near Tumbler Ridge after 24 years of care and maintenance.
The is spending upwards of $500 million bringing it back into production. It will have a permanent workforce of more than 400 permanent jobs
Quintette opened in 1982 and operated for 18 years until previous owner Teck Resources closed the mine in 2000 because of a decline in coal prices
The move is being hailed by Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
“The mining and mineral exploration sector is a foundational part of British Columbia’s economy, providing more than 40,000 good, family-supporting jobs – and we’re supporting it to grow,” she said in a news release. “Steel-making coal is critical for building public transit, hospitals, wind turbines, and more. I am glad to see operations restart at the Quintette Mine this week after it closed its doors in 2000 when prices dropped. This restart is exceptional news for the community of Tumbler Ridge and the 400 workers the mine will employ.
She said government continues to take action to streamline the mine-permitting process while maintaining high standards for worker safety and environmental protection.
“Permitting wait times have been a long-standing issue for the sector, and I am pleased that the hard work of ministry staff has resulted in average review timelines for major project permits being reduced by more than one-third in the past five years. The approval process to restart Quintette’s Little Windy Pit was completed in just over four months,” she said. “B.C.’s mining sector is poised for significant growth. Since 2017, total employment has increased by 10 per cent, private-sector investment has doubled, and mineral export value has increased to around $17 billion in 2023.
“We have the minerals and resources that B.C. and the world need for a growing economy.”